Uriamghat eviction: 700 police, heavy machinery deployed in Rengma Forest
Locals flagged that despite the govt's announcements, many settlers continue to occupy land in the area
Jorhat, July 28: With a high-stakes eviction exercise scheduled for Tuesday, Uriamghat in Assam’s Golaghat district transformed into a security fortress on Monday.
A force of nearly 700–800 police personnel, along with teams from the Forest Department and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were stationed in and around the Rengma Forest Reserve—marking one of the largest preparatory deployments in recent months.
Heavy machinery, including bulldozers and excavators, has also been mobilised for the operation aimed at removing alleged encroachers from the protected reserve forest.
Backhoe loaders were seen in the area ahead of the evictions (AT Photo)
The eviction follows state government directives and is being seen as a major step in Assam’s ongoing drive to reclaim forest and government land from illegal occupation.
“Eviction will be carried out in the Rengma forests on July 29 to clear the encroachers from the area. The district administration and police have taken steps in this effect and we welcome these steps,” Bishal Borah, a local leader of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) told the press.
While authorities claim that nearly 70% of the encroachers have already vacated voluntarily, concerns persist over those still occupying forest land.
Local groups have urged the administration to ensure a complete eviction and prevent any re-entry by settlers.
“Despite the direction given by the Chief Minister, several illegal settlers remain. We urge the authorities to ensure that not even one encroacher is left behind,” Borah said.
The students’ body also flagged concerns about cross-border encroachment from Nagaland, alleging that Naga settlers have entered Assam’s side of the border and damaged forest land.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited Uriamghat on July 25, had expressed confidence that the eviction would proceed without conflict.
“Almost 70% of encroachers have already left, and I’m confident the rest will vacate within the next two to three days,” he said.
If successful, the Uriamghat operation is expected to free 11,000 bighas of forest land from encroachment—one of the largest clearances in Assam’s recent land protection efforts.